Attachment for guiding edging to sewing-machines.



PATENTBD AUG. 4, 1908.

v R. G: WOODWARD. ATTACHMENT FOR GUIDING EDGING TO SEWING MAGHIHES.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.17, 1902.

I UM J a fivenfor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSEL G. WOODWARD, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLIXOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIALSEWING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ATTACHIEENT FOR GUIDING EDGING TO SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

Application filed April 17, 1902. Serial No. 103,321.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUssEL G. \Voon- \VARD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing V at \Vaukcgan, in the county of Lake, State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in sewing machines, andparticularly to an attachment for use upon machines adapted to sew laceedging upon the necks or fronts of underwear, through the cross bars ofwhich a tape is drawn alternately over and under.

This lace edging is of various well known characters, and of variouswidths and designs, and is adapted to furnish an ornamental finish forgarments. It is usually formed on special machines for the purpose, andis sold to manufacturers for application to their goods, the uniting ofthe edging with the body of the fabric being performed on sewingmachines.

Heretofore in sewing the edging which comprises an outer festoon and aninner line united by open work cross bars between which cross bars aribbon or tape is threaded, considerable dilliculty has been experiencedin laying the cross bars at right angles to the length of the lace, andunless it is so laid not only the diagonal appearance of the cross barsis unsightly, but the ornamental ribbon in passing through will bewrinkled.

The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide anattachment for a sewing machine, which will guide the edging properlyand straighten out the cross bars of the lace as it is sewed.

To this end the invention consists in the matters hereinafter describedand referred to in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, Figure 1represents my attachment applied to a sewing machine having threeneedles, a pair of which is arranged to make the Union Special twinneedle stitch, illustrated in Patent 344,492, and to pass through theright hand portion of the edging and fabric, leaving the festoons projecting beyond the edge thereof, While the third needle makes theordinary straightaway stitch, and asses through the edging and fabricupon the opposite side of the festoon edging; Fig. 2 is a plan view,partly in section, of a portion of a. sewing machine with my deviceapplied; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the edging itself; and Fig. 4 is asectional side view of the attachment.

In these drawings, a represents the needles of the pair arranged uponthe right hand side of the line of feed, and (1, represents the needlemaking the straight-away stitch arranged upon the opoosite side of theline of feed, the direction 0 feed being indicated by the arrow in Fig.2.

The attachment for guiding the ed ing is shown as a whole, at A, and isprovided at its upper end with a projecting bar b, near the outer end ofwhich is clamped one end of the arm C, pivotally attached at itsopposite end to the head D, which has the lateral projecting shank d,dovetailed in and adjustably secured by set screws e and slots f to theclamp g, which embraces the presser bar h on the sewing machine.

The arm C above referred to, is controlled by the spring i, in themanner shown in Reissue Patent 11,081, of June 3, 1890. By thisarrangement it will be seen that the attachment A may be swung in andout as desired, to allow access to the needles for the pur ose ofthreading them.

T e edging guiding attachment A, is composed of the side plates 1, 1,having the various cross lates 2, 3, and 4, 5, the cross rod 6, and t 1efront cross plate 7. The cross plates 2, 3, and 4, 5, are formed in theshape of angle plates, within the apex of which are su ported rods 9,10, upon which are pivoted tlie rotating members 11, formed as hereinshown, each with four ta ering projections properly spaced apart, so tat in the movement of the edging through the attachment they willsuccessively engage the spaces between the horizontal cross bars, andexercise the necessary action upon the cross bars to keep the latter intheir proper osition at right angles to the line of the Feed, andprevent their being ullcd out of position by the action of the eed andthe stitch-formin g mechanism. The plates 2, 3, and 4, 5, are slotted toallow these projecting members to pass through them.

The lace edging is supported from above upon a roll or spool in theusual manner, and is fed to the attachment behind the bar 7, thenbeneath the part 2 of the angle plate 2,

3, then over the top of the convex cross bar 12, arranged in rear of theattachment; then down in front of the part 4 of the an le plate 4, 5,beneath the attachment, to t e sewing mechanism. By this arrangement, asthe feed of the machine takes place, it will pull the lace edging alongthrough the attachment, the projecting members on the rotatable wheelsserving to guide and separate and keep in proper position the cross barsof the edging. This device is herein shown as used in connection with apresser foot of the type shown in patent granted Pennington & Schott,X0. 558,459, April 14th, 1896. The convex wire 12 is of importance, ascounteracting the tendency of the lace to run together, the art 12forcing the edgin out to its full with 1 and preventing lateralbuckling.

It will, of course, be understood thatthe particular features of thelace guiding attachment may be varied without departing from the spiritof the invention, which is broadly intended to cover a devicehavingmeans for guiding and straightening out the cross bars in a laceedging.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An attachment for guiding cross bar edging to the stitch-formingmechanism of a sewing machine, in which the feed of the machine feedsthe edging, comprising a device carried thereby, adapted to engage andstraighten out the cross bars while being fed to the stitch-formingmechanism; substantially as described.

2. A device for guiding cross bar edging to the stitch-forming mechanismof a sewing machine in which the feed of the machine feeds the edging,comprising rotatable members carried thereby adapted to engage the crossbars and hold them in normal position during the operation of feedingthe same; substantially as described.

3. In'combination with a sewing machine, having stitch-forming mechanismand a feeding mechanism, an attachment for guiding lace edging to saidstitch-forming mechanism, said attachment 'omprising means forstraightening out and holding the cross bars of the edging in normalposition, and means for moving said attachment into and out of operativeposition.

4. An attachment for sewing machines for guiding cross bar edging to thestitch-forming mechanism, comprising a framework attached to the machineframe and arranged in position in front of the stitch-forming mechanism,said framework being provided with means for straightenin out andholding the cross bars at right angles to the sides of the edging;substantially as described.

5. An attachment for guiding cross bar edging to the stitch-formingmechanism of a se ing machine, comprising means for guiding the edging,and rotating wheels provided with projections adapted to successivelyproject into the openings between the cross bars, and hold the latter innormal position; substantially as described.

6. The herein described attachment for sewing machines, comprising aframework pivotally attached to the machine frame and arranged in aposition in front of the stitchforming mechanism of a sewing machine,guiding devices carried by said framework, and rotatory members providedwith projections adapted to engage the edging between the cross barssubstantially as do scribed.

7. A cross bar edging guide for attachment to sewing machines forguiding the edging to the stitch forming mechanism of the machine,comprising side plates, cross rods, angle plates, and rotatable spurwheels successively engaging the spaces between the horizontal crossbars of the edging; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL G. VVOODVVARD. Witnesses CHESTER l\lCNEIL, JULIUS Srmn.

